1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to decorative window treatments, such as valances, that can be supported from conventional curtain rods and which can be adjusted for use in different applications. This invention also relates to the use of fastening means, such as hook and loop fasteners, for mounting window treatments or valances.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Custom-made, decorative, board-mounted window treatments, commonly called valances, tend to be relatively high in cost and, therefore, are confined to a relatively small market. These decorative window treatments are typically fabricated by a skilled seamstress or a drapery workroom at the request of an interior decorator. The individual fabric decorative window treatment is sized to fit a specific order, and it is typically nailed to a board that is semi-permanently attached above a window. Unlike common draperies, these decorative window treatment items are not mounted to conventional or standard curtain rods. However, the aesthetic characteristics of these decorative window treatments would make them highly desirable if they could be mass marketed and if they could be adjusted and mounted on a conventional curtain rod by a homeowner, without the need for expertise or more than ordinary skill. Mass marketable or mass produced items of this type are not readily available and are not believed to have been previously sold or marketed. Although attempts to provide an acceptable product, having at least some of these features, have been made, it is believed that these earlier attempts have not been successful efforts to combine sufficient features to satisfactorily meet the requirements of a sufficiently large number of homeowners. A number of related efforts have been discussed in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,348 discloses decorative swags that can be hung from a board that is in turn mounted on a wall in a permanent manner. A hook or loop attachment strip is mounted on the top of the board, and a mating loop or hook fastener on the swag is attached to the complementary board-mounted attachment strip. Hook and loop fasteners are mounted on opposite sides of the swags for attachment to the board-mounted attachment strip. Other elements, such as jabots, also including hook and loop fasteners, can be placed either on top of or underneath adjacent swags. An alternate embodiment of continuously joined-together swags arranged around a pole is also shown. Hook and loop fasteners can be attached at opposite ends of these swag segments to connect the segments end to end to form a continuous member that can be wrapped or draped around a pole. A fastening tape can also be mounted on the pole and the swags can be detachably fastened end to end to the pole. Significantly, different swag configurations are used for attachment to a board and for attachment to a pole. A conventional telescoping curtain rod appears not to be discussed with reference to either configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,006 discloses a template for making a swag that purportedly can be hung by an ordinary householder who does not possess specialized skill or training. The swag can be hung from a touch and close fastener means, or alternative fasteners, located on the rear of a board. Each swag is cut from a template, and apparently the template must be adjusted in order to cut a separate swag having a different width. A single swag cannot therefore be adjusted to a different width. A curtain rod assembly for mounting one of these swags is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,741 to the top of the telescoping rod assembly where complementary hook and loop fasteners have been attached to both the swag and the curtain rod. U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,987 discloses a valance cover that can be attached to the inner side of an assembly comprising three flat, rigid, oblong members joined to one another or extending as a continuous piece at right angles to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,542 discloses a supposedly ready-made swag and pleated jabot system. The swag comprises a curved, folded hanging piece secured to an elongated sleeve piece by a line of stitching. The sleeve piece extends beyond the ends of the hanging piece and an elongated open-ended pocket is formed between opposite ends of the swag. The swag and a similarly pocketed jabot can be hung in conventional fashion from conventional telescoping curtain rods. When the two are used together, the jabot is hung from a front rod and the swag is hung from a separate rear rod.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,962 discloses an adjustable telescoping support bar from which multiple window treatments can be hung from the same support bar. The support bar includes hook and loop type fastening means attached to all sides of the support bar for attaching the window treatments to the support bar.
Although these prior patents do show various means for attaching window treatments, such as valances including swags, cascades, jabots etc., from a support member, they do not disclose a system including an adjustable-width window treatment member that can be mounted on a conventional telescoping curtain rod using hook and loop fastening means. Furthermore they do not disclose the use of a separate rod sleeve that can be mounted on a conventional curtain rod. Therefore these prior patents do not show a system in which standard components, suitable for mass production, can be used to decorate windows or other structures. However, the Adjustable-Width Window Treatment System of U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,783 consisting of a Valance Support Device/Variant and accompanying valance components (such as swags, jabots, cascades, horns, pennants) which are constructed to be mounted on the Support Device/Variant does begin to address these issues. The Valance Support Device is a simple apparatus for displaying decorative overlaying valance sections, all of which allow the home shopper to form top window treatments, (i.e., valances) according to his tastes and the size of his particular window(s). The apparatus is either a telescoping rod (in various size ranges) with hook and loop type fastener on its back (i.e., the side which faces the wall or window) or a rod sleeve with hook and loop fastener on one or both sides which sleeve then slips over and entirely covers the common curtain rod or pole (which, again, are offered in many size ranges.) The Adjustable-Width Valance Support Device or Variant is used to display valance components which have the mating hook/loop fastener attached so they may be applied to the rod/rod sleeve or onto each other to form the valance.
One of the most popular of these valance components is known as a swag. Prior art swags are typically made to be of specific dimensions with little to no on-site adjustment possible. An adjustable-width swag of U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,783 is especially constructed in order to allow a variation of at least six inches in its own width. Then each swag so constructed can be adjusted on site to give a custom fit without having to be custom made. This is the only component in this system which has adjustable width features and there are many other popular types of valance components which could be standardized and mass produced for onsite fittings if there were more adjustable width features developed.